There has been known an analyzer that includes a dispenser which dispenses, into a container, liquids such as a reagent and a sample (blood, urine, and the like) to be used by the analyzer, in which analyzer, the sample and the reagent are mixed together to prepare a measurement specimen, and analysis of components of the measurement specimen is performed.
The analyzer described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-108842 includes a light source unit and a photometer which are fixedly provided at positions so as to face each other, while sandwiching therebetween a reaction container held by a reaction disc. The analyzer is configured such that the light source unit emits light to a reaction container held by the reaction disc, and light that has been transmitted through the reaction container enters the photometer, whereby it is detected whether a liquid specimen is present in the reaction container.
A measurement specimen to be measured by an analyzer is prepared by mixing reagents and a sample together. Therefore, when the amount of a reagent or the sample to be dispensed is too much or too small compared with a predetermined amount, the condition for preparing a measurement specimen fails to be constant, and thus, an accurate measurement result may not be obtained. Therefore, a technology is desired that monitors whether a liquid such as a reagent or a sample to be used by the analyzer has been dispensed by a predetermined amount. However, the above analyzer can merely detect whether a liquid is present in a container, and thus, there remains a problem that it cannot be determined whether the liquid has been dispensed by a predetermined amount.